Theater chair



J. P. SATTERLEE THEATER CHAIR Filed Aug. 1, 1923 Nov. 15, 1927;

Patented Nov. 15, 1927.

JOHN PAUL SATTERLEE, or KnAMArH FALLS, onneon.

Trimaran CHAIR.

Application filed August 1, 1923. Serial No. 655,044.

My invention relates to a theatre chair and the main objects to be accomplished are:

1. To construct a retracting gravity operated chair which will permit by the action of the occupant of increased space being formed at will between himself and other objects or chairs in front and thus permit free passage through a wider aisle for any passer-by without the necessity of the seatoccupant rising. V

2. To bring about the locking and holding of all movable parts of the chair when the seat is thrown up into a verticalposition. 7 i i 3; To bring about the construction and operation of a chair of the type described with arms which will rise and move with the seat and back when the chair is operated.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the following drawing in which Figure (1) is a side view of the chair, the nearest standard being removed, thus exposing side panels and seat with support- 7 ing mechanism, showing seat and back with attached parts in two positions namely the normal and the retracted one.

Figure 2, is a sectional front view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1. r

Figure (3), is a side view of chair-showing'nearest standard and side panel with attached parts to same removed and the positionof seat and parts whensaid seat is in a vertical position to clear aisle and lock chair. I 1 a Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The standards SS the back; the studs BB and mm; the seatGr with grooved ribs together with the supporting side panels PP with attached pivot hinge mechanism and inclined guides XX at the tops constitute the principal parts of the chair. The occupant placing himself on seat G is in a normal resting position, the weight of his body being in part carried by' roller bearings bb traveling in grooves gg in side members MM, which rollers are journalled on studs BB attached to standards: also in part by pivot hinges hh in side panels PP which panels have inclined guides resting on roller bearings 22 at the top back extremities of standards SS.

Desiring to retract the chair and widen the-aisle, the-occupant of the chair places his feet on the floor and by a backward motion of the body pushes the chair seat, together with the supporting side panels andthe attached back to the rear until at any point desired this action ischecked by theout ward flanged front edges of panels PP as shown by dottedline near X in Figure (l), striking stops CC on standards SS. This action is brought about by the suspended sidepanels P'P rolling on guides XX over rollers 22 and supported seat Gr rollin on guides gg over rollers bl), the guides and grooves gg being of any inclination de: 3 4 sired but adjusted to the same pitch or slope.

a W hen'no upward thrust is exerted'at the free or forward edgeof the seat,,thesame is permitted to be shifted rearwardly freely a and without binding of the inwardly flextending flanges at the lower sides of, the grooves or channels gg of the seatsupporting members MM against the rollers bb. To

avoid any upward movement of the seat u about the pivot hinges kit, which movement would interfere with the free rearward shifting of the seat, I have provided av catch or latch member L which is pivoted at its one end on one of the side or seat support 1 ing members M, said latchvmember being normally retained, by means of a spring, with its opposite or free end, when the seat is shifted to its extreme forward position, in engagement with one of the rollers b, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 the roller inFig ure 1 being removed to facilitate the illustration. As the seat is shifted inwardly or rearwardly by the occupant, the latch member is rotated about its axis by the spring by reason of the disengagement of the free end of the latch member fromthe roller, permitt-ing an inwardly turned lug near the pivot portion of the latch membertd engage a recess'portion in one of theinembers secured over the inner sides of the side members MM, as shown best by dotted lines in Fig. 1. Said inwardly turned lug of the latch member engaging said recess prevents the side or seat supporting members MM, and therefore the seatuG, from being raised to any extent. WVhen the seat is shifted forwardly, the free end of the latch member engages the roller 6?) rotating the former,

disengaging the inwardly turned lug thereof from said recess portion, and permitting the seat- G to be rotated about its pivotal axis at kit. It will be here noted, however, that the seat is prevented from being shifted lupwardly by the flanges at the lower sides of the grooves -.or channels 9 engaging the rollersob-as soon as the seatisl shittedirearwardly a slight distance, but said flanges and rollers do not permit. free rearward shifting of the seat when an upward thrustis pro duced at its free edge, said rearward shiifting being permitted at all times only by said latch. t t

The occupant next, desiring to resume a normal-position ofithe chair, relaxes his body and gravitational force acting through the downward inclination-oi the guides XX on ro'llers ez and also in grooves 9 on rollersbb willl force the sea'tand occupant forwardf until checked in A position by stopsoo attached to side panels PP and I impinging on; absorbers made part of shudsiBB. By adjustinentwof the pitch 7 adjacent the inner-sides of said pedestals, ex-

tendin i fI'0ll1 118aI hl lil middle=portions to nearg -t eiri upper :ends, v and vshiftable relatiwely thereto, RandroIIer: ineans at theupper endspof said side panels invoon nection 1 with i said pedestals for supportingisaid panels on slriiftable relatively thereto,

and for :ifiaeilitating forwardwanid rearward shiftingivnf rthezpanels i relative to said peda estals. r a ni iIn ia chair, a pair ofspacedi apart pedestals, side panels 11 positioned E between and adjacent theinner-si des of saidgpedestals and and single roller means am both "the upper and, lower ends of each of said side 1 panels in: connection with said pedestals fori supporting said panels on and for ifaciliitating forwarcland rearward shifting. of the panels relative i to said pedestalsfl i w 3. In a ehair a pair ofspaoed apart pedestals, side panels positioned between 'and [adjacent the inner sides of said pedestals, extending :from near i their middle portions tornear; their upper ends, and shiftable relati vely tliereto, and roller and inolined track meansat: the upper ends of said side'panels and said pedestals providing roller suspension iineans for pedestals: todaoilitate forwardand rearward Shifting of the panels relative to said pedsaid side panels I from i said estals.

4.11 chair, a pair ofspaeed apart pediestalspsiide panels positioned 'between and rollers revolubly trade a proper normal ac l jaeent the inner sidesof said pedestals and ishiftahle relatively thereto, single mounted at the inner sides andnneartbotlrthe upper and lower ends of said pedestals; and inclined channel-shaped provided near the upper and lower ends of said panels adapted to straddle and ride on said rollers.-

5. In a chair, a supporting means, a pair ofispaoed apartside panels shiftably mount: ed relatively to 531d. supporting 'inoans a:

seat positioned between said sidevpanels and provided with a pair of spaced apartridowm we rdly extending seat supportingmembers, said; seat supporting t members being :pivotatly mounted i near the lower ends. of said side panels! and 1 provided with forwardly and "(lOMIWVZHfClly extending tracks, roller means mounted on said supporting imeans and iadap to d to engage the tracks ionisaid seat supporting unenibers. :and F08, ilatch -1pivota1ly mounted 5 on one of :said isest" members and adapted to engage the rolleno aid rollemneans whenithe seatiisrinia forward position and adapted? to engage aanvim wardly extending portion of one of said side panelsrwhen the seat is shifted haekwardlysto prevent the upward raising of the same.

6. In a; chair, a supporting means atseat andside panels ilshiftably :supported onvsaid supporting means, bearing 11 roller w-mea ns mounted on the lowerportions of said- 81 1px porting means, itrack means carried by the loweriportions ofasaid side panelsand adapted to ride on saidlrollermeans, suspension sitionedbaekteardly from said bearing mo ler means,:;and other tracki means iearried-iby the uppersportions ofisaidsidespanelsuandmldapted-tdride on said suspension :rroller means.

:7. In i-Ia chair, a supporting means, aside panels shiftably supported on saidssnppont; nieans ai seat: pivotallyimountedrtiebween said side panels, hearingiroller means meuntr ed on; the lower portions of said supporting means; tract: means earried by the lower portions-of said :side panels and adapted to ride on :saidroller nieans, suspensionwroller means mounted: on i the supporting means near the upper ends thereof rand positioned bank- Wardly from said hearing rollen means, other track means carried by the upper portions of said side: panels and :adapted to ride on: said sus aension roller means, and means in connec ionwithi said seat and: the lower roller means to; prevent inward:shiftingofsaid seat when the salne isin arraisedposition.

8. *In a ch'air, a supporting means; side panels shiftahly supported on; said -supporting means, a seat pivotally mountedbetween means, trajck ineans carried by the? lower portionsof said sidepanelsand adapted to ride Iii-3 supportin i Iii on said roller means, suspension roller means mounted on the supporting means near the upper ends thereof and positioned back- Wardly from said bearing roller means, other track means carried by the upper portions of said side panels and adapted to ride on said suspension roller means, and pivotal latch means in connection with said seat adapted to normally engage one of the lower roller means when said seat is shifted forwardly and to be disengaged therefrom when said seat is shifted baekwardly, whereby said seat is prevented from being raised when the sameis shifted backwardly. a

9. In an auditorium aisle chair, a pedestal having a downwardly and forwardly inclined upper edge, a side panel shiftably mounted on one side of said pedestal and provided at its upper end with an arm sup- 20 porting member, said arm supporting mem- 10. In a chair, a supporting means, side panels supported by said supporting means and shift ble rearwardly and forwardly relative thereto, a seat and a back supported by and between said side panels, said seat being foldable relative to saidbaok, and means for locking said back and said seat in unfolded relation when shifting said panels rearwardly, said locking means being released when said panels are shifted'to theirforward positions to prinit said seat to be folded upwardly, said panels being locked in their forward positions when said seat is folded upwardly.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN PAUL SATTERLEE.

her being provided on its under side with a 

